Consumer TechConsumer technology is going to exist indefinitely, perhaps for as long as the human species exists. At CleanTechnica, we try to feature consumer technologies that help to reduce global warming pollution and other types of pollution. For example: electric cars, solar panels, bikes, energy efficient appliances and electronics, and green smartphone apps. Keep an eye on this category for all sorts of fun and cool, helpful consumer technology.

Solar News Link Love

Here’s some more solar news and commentary from around the interwebs from the past week or so:

New “Smart” Solar Modules Unveiled by Upsolar: “Upsolar yesterday unveiled that it has created new “smart modules” with the help of Tigo Energy. Reportedly, these are the first smart modules to be certified by TÜV Rheinland PTL for Europe and North America. The new smart modules are good for residential, commercial, or utility-scale solar installations.”

New High-Tech Solar Company for Saudi Arabia: “A new high-tech company for the solar energy sector is going to be created in Saudi Arabia, courtesy Saint-Gobain (in particular, Jean-Pierre Floris, Senior Vice-President and President of the Innovative Materials Sector) and Prince Faisal Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.”

Over 100 MW of Utility-Scale Solar for Indonesia: “100 MW of utility-scale solar power plants are reportedly headed to Indonesia courtesy First Solar, a leading solar product company based out of the US, and PT. Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Services (PJB Services), an Indonesia company. An MOU was signed this week by the two companies.”

SolarCity to Power 26 Los Angeles Unified School District Schools with Solar Energy: “SolarCity today announced a 7.4-megawatt (MW) solar power project that will bring renewable energy to 26 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) schools. The project will bring immediate and long-term cost savings to the District and is expected to save more than $776,000 in their first year and more than $25 million over the next 20 years.”

Solar Insights: Grid Parity Is Really Here, This Time: “Grid parity is a term that is often discussed and a goal that is often raised, but until subsidies are stripped away it is a concept that has not been tested – beyond some off-grid and island locations. Where better to test it then, than in Spain, the country that did so much to support the deployment of wind and solar energy but which, thanks to the continuing fallout of its property crash, can no longer afford to pay energy subsidies, be they green, grey or black.”

Australian Rooftop Solar Market Cools in September: “Australian PV system registrations fell considerably in September, following a general downturn in the market. A downturn was expected after the reduction in solar multiplier drove installations into Quarter 2, but registrations in Q3 were buoyed by the closing feed-in tariffs in Queensland and Victoria, and by the lag between intallation and registration.”

First Solar to Build 13MW Solar Power Plant for Dubai Electricity & Water Authority: “First Solar, Inc. [has] announced it has been selected by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) to construct a 13 megawatt (MWDC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Seih Al Dahal, approximately 50 kilometers south of Dubai. Under the terms of the agreement, First Solar will provide engineering, procurement and construction services, as well as its advanced thin-film PV modules.”

“The Power Saver Series is a simplified product line that is super easy to articulate to the consumer and strips out many of the unnecessary cost that designing individual systems require. I mean, how foolish and inefficient is it to take hours of the consumers time, plus hours of design time, plus hours of proposal time that simply requires one question and that is ‘How much do you pay for electricity each month?’ and when they tell us, we can put them in one of three Power Saver systems in minutes,” said CEO Jim Petersen.

Petersen, also exclaimed, “I mean, why would anyone lease a solar power system that cost five grand for twenty years and never own it? Our Power Saver Series are power house systems that are all under fifteen grand and the consumer gets to keep the thirty percent tax credit for now. You talk about a no-brainer.”

Solar Shoes Helps Mount on Shingled Roofs: “The CHEM LINK Solar Shoe provides an economical, yet innovative solution to mounting solar panels on shingled roofs. The Solar Shoe is made from a tough urethane that can resist heavy impact at high and low temperatures.”

About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species), one letter at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity; or as president of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media: ZacharyShahan.com.

Wind Energy

Search the IM Network

The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by, and do not necessarily represent the views of Sustainable Enterprises Media, Inc., its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.